Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron092.txt

Subject: Answers
Date: 3/13/98 6:26 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: RonDMoore
Message-id: <19980314022600.VAA16024@ladder01.news.aol.com>
<<What did you think about Peter David's deft handling of the "Captain
Shelby" issue by Commander Shelby in New Frontier #5?>>
I didn't read it -- I haven't read any of the novels in a long time (no
offense, John!)
<<Ron, is there any chance at all that Jennifer Sisko was
captured/assimilated by the Borg at Wolf 359?>>
No.
<<If you had a massive FX budget, would you like to add a non-humanoid
character to DS9?>>
Absolutely. With unlimited funds and unlimited time we could create an
amazing visual extravaganza on the station.
<<Can you give us a little teaser on the Season Ender? Cliffhanger?>>
I would if I had something to tease you with, but it's still under
development at this moment.
<>
It would've been nice to do big vfx-filled episodes that showed the war
being waged across countless planets and throughout the Alpha Quadrant...
oh, well...
<<Is it true that one or several main actors will leave the show after or
while season six ( I heard about Terry Farrel and/or Colm Meaney) ?>>
Still nothing official on this front.
<<Is it true that a new Star Trek Series is being planned at Paramount?
And if yes, do you know anything about it? Do you think it would be a good
idea to create a new series ?>>
As of this posting, there are no new Trek series being planned. I think it
would be in everyone's best interests to delay any development on another
series until after Voyager has run its course.
<<Ron, in a couple of Voyager episodes, stock footage from DS9 has been
used. Is this ever a problem? Who gets to decide if its okay?>>
Peter Lauritson is in charge of post-production on both shows and in the end
he gets to make this call. There's a large library of stock shots available
to both shows and Peter and his gang are really the only people who know
exactly what has been used, in what context, and what the potential problems
are for one series to use material shot for the other series.
<<On behalf of the Vorta Anti-Defamation League, Vortaphiles, Weyoun's
Women, and Jeffrey Combs fans, I would like to ask if there are plans to
include Weyoun in any upcoming episodes. Weyoun was shown so much during
the War Arc that we've gotten used to seeing him. Our favorite Vorta hasn't
been seen since "Waltz" and we are starting to miss him. >>
Weyoun (and Damar) will both appear in "In the Pale Moonlight" and there's a
very good chance that they'll both be in the final episode as well.
<<Ron, in the Chutzpah "R" Us department--and as coauthor with Josepha
Sherman of a TOS novel called VULCAN'S FORGE, I cracked up when I heard Dax
dismiss the idea of the place as a honeymoon spot. I'm sure you were doing
your Vulcan geography--hephaistography? from YESTERYEAR, but if you'd like a
copy of the book, just drop a word here, and I'll put it in the mail to the
studio.>>
Thanks and go ahead and send it to me. I did draw the reference from
"Yesteryear", but I was also aware of your book and thought it would be
a cool thing to throw into the show.
<<What about the Changeling that died in the episode "The Ship?" I thought
the reason this Changeling died was because it wasn't allowed to return to a
gelatinous state (for reasons of discovery).>>
As I recall, the Changeling in "The Ship" had been severely injured in some
way (don't ask me how you hurt a shapeshifter) before the ship crashed or as
a result of the crash.
<>
Moogie will be played by Cecily Adams.
<<Is there any chance of Voyager being mentioned in DS9? It would be neat
if the DS9 crew were somehow involved in bringing Voyager home.>>
No and what makes you think we want Seven of Eleven & Co. messing around
with OUR quadrant?
<<Why does DS9 seem so reluctant to give mention to events that occur in the
Trek world outside of DS9? Also are there any plans for or future episodes
that mention the recent contact of Voyager? >>
We mention plot threads and characters from TOS & TNG all the time. We're
not reluctant to reference Voyager, but since their show takes place on the
other side of the galaxy, there's very little we could talk about anyway.
<>
Thank you (and many others that I haven't had a chance to respond to) for
the kind words on "Change of Heart." I'm glad to see that it's stirred up a
lot of debate and controversy regarding Worf's actions at the end. I like
to see people get engaged in the show and argue about the moral quandries
for a change instead of continuity issues or tech nonsense. As for Julian
Bashir, Secret Agent -- we might find some ways to work in another adventure
before the end of the series or we might just stick to smaller set-pieces
like this one or like the one we did last year.
<<First, [in "Change of Heart"] why was Kira giving Worf and Dax orders, I
thought Bajor's status in the war was unresolved? Seems like they're
combatants now. >>
They're combatants by now.
<<Second, I thought that Gen. Martok was CinC of the 9th Fleet, shouldn't he
have given those orders.>>
Well, we weren't going to pay for Martok to make a one-scene appearance in
the show, and we've established that Kira is in charge of the station when
Sisko is away. Also, it was clearly stated that the 9th Fleet was away on
manuevers and presumably Martok was with it.
<<Third, there is no way that any thinking officer would assign a married
couple to that mission, as we saw it was disastrous. With a station full of
junior officers, why send two Lt. Cmdrs. who are married to each other? Even
so, two experienced officers like Worf and Dax surely had discussed this
possibility when they were assigned the mission, if they hadn't already. >>
Worf and Dax are our characters, not some junior officer team. Also, the
mission started out as a fairly routine one -- go and pick up the line when
Lasaran makes a phone call. The decision to go on was made by Worf and Dax.
I also doubt very much that anyone in the audience was saying, "No, Kira
don't send them on a mission -- they're married!" The conflict of Worf's
love for Dax versus his duty wasn't something that was so obvious from the
outset. Worf is a longtime Starfleet officer who we've seen time and again
hold to a rigid sense of honor and duty. I think it's more than reasonable
to assume that no one expected him to abort a mission in favor of saving his
wife's life -- hell, even Dax didn't expect it!
<<From the title, I assume that the "Change" is that Worf is now going to
be a lot less Klingon. No true Klingon warrior would have abandoned his duty
for any reason. If the situation were reversed Worf would have insisted that
the mission come first. I was astounded to hear him say that his love for
Dax came before duty. If so, he should find another line of work.>>
Have you ever met a Klingon warrior? Well, I have and I can tell you for a
fact that they hold a more complex view of duty and love than the one you're
promoting. Martok would understand what Worf did -- he might have done the
same thing for Sirella. "Duty" does not always equal "honor" nor does
"love" always equal "self-interest". What Worf did honored his love and
commitment to his wife. In their society, the bonds between a man and a
woman can be as strong as a force of nature and you question the power of
that love at your peril. And as someone once said, "The needs of the one
outweighed the needs of the many..."